PSG star Marquinhos calls for teammate to win 2025 Ballon d'Or in their UCL trophy winning parade

Marquinhos chanted the name of Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) teammate Ousmane Dembélé for the 2025 Ballon d’Or during their open-top bus parade following their UEFA Champions League triumph. The Ligue 1 giants put Inter Milan to the sword with a 5-0 victory in Munich to win the competition for the first time on Saturday.

After spending the night in Germany, Luis Enrique’s men arrived back in Paris on Sunday and were welcomed by hordes of adoring fans. At noon, the European champions held a lengthy open-top bus parade through the city, running from the Champs Elysees to the Arc de Triomphe.

During the trophy parade while the bus was moving, PSG’s current captain and current longest-serving player, Marquinhos, chanted:

“Ousmané, BALLON D’OR! Ousmané, BALLON D’OR!”

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Dembele has become a contender for the 2025 Ballon d’Or following his heroics with PSG this season. He has recorded 33 goals and 15 assists in 49 games across competitions this campaign.

Meanwhile, he played down being interested in winning the award ahead of the final.

How 2025 Ballon d’Or contender Ousmane Dembele fared in the Champions League final between PSG and Inter Milan?

Ousmane Dembele once again impressed in PSG’s demolition of Inter Milan in the Champions League final at the Allianz Arena. While teenage sensation Desire Doue stole the show on the night with a brace and an assist, Dembele put on an exceptional performance.

The Frenchman couldn’t get on the scoresheet, but he compensated for it with two assists. He assisted Doue for Le Parisien’s second goal and also assisted Khvicha Kvaratskhelia for the fourth. Dembele had a passing accuracy of 87% (39/45), created one big chance, and gave three key passes. He was also the team’s second-highest-rated player with a rating of 8.1, as per Sofascore.

After the match, manager Luis Enrique said he believes the former Barcelona man deserved the Ballon d’Or for his work rate in the UCL final.

"Everyone is concerned about who I would give the Ballon d'Or to," Luis Enrique told reporters (via beIN Sports). "I would give the Ballon d'Or to Ousmane Dembele for the way he defended in this final. That's what you call leading a team. I sincerely believe he deserves the Ballon d'Or, without a doubt, not just for the titles he won or the goals he scored, but for his pressing. He's done it all season, but exceptionally in this final."

As a reward for his performance, Dembele was crowned Champions League player of the season.

About the author

Ezekiel is a European football journalist who covers breaking news and transfer rumors at Sportskeeda. He is currently pursuing an undergraduate degree in Accounting and has a work experience of around 3 years, having previously worked at the likes of Opera News Hub and Extratime Talk. He is a proponent of factual accuracy, meticulous research, verification of sources and journalistic ethics and standards.

An ardent Chelsea fan, Ezekiel's journey as a football fan began in his childhood, witnessing Ronaldinho dazzle with his skills. His interest in the beautiful game deepened after Nigeria were knocked out of the 2010 FIFA World Cup; he was impressed with the Super Eagles' fighting spirit in their 2-2 Group B draw against South Korea. Some other World Cup matches which have left a deep impact on him were Belgium's incredible comeback against Japan in the round of 16 of the 2018 version and the 2022 final.

Lionel Messi is the one true GOAT for Ezekiel and he also follows the Major League Soccer and the Saudi Pro League owing to him and Cristiano Ronaldo. When not writing, he spends his free time deepening his SEO knowledge and watching skits.

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Edited by Aditya Singh